Who am I?

I am a professor at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg where I teach courses in American Government and Public Law. I live in Madeira Beach with my husband and daughter. I also serve on the PTA of my daughter’s school.
I have worked at the US Supreme Court, the US Senate Judiciary Committee, the US Department of Justice, and the White House. A veteran of several presidential campaigns, I have managed statewide operations across the US, from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon.

Why am I running?

I’m running for State Senate because our government in Tallahassee has it all wrong. Instead of working to help consumers and middle class families, the legislature is focused on special interests and corporations. We must end the pay-to-play corrupt culture in Tallahassee. I am committed to making government work for the people of Tampa Bay. I am not running in order to have the title of State Senator or to get a good parking spot in Tallahassee. My opponent is a disaster, and he is beatable. No one ran against him in 2012. We need to compete in every district and it is unacceptable to not compete in a winnable seat. I am running to make a difference in state government.

My Goals

Restore education funding - invest in public schools (fight expansion of voucher programs, fight use of taxpayer funds to support for-profit charter schools

I have always advocated for strong public schools and women's rights. I also believe that Florida must accept Medicaid expansion. I will collaborate with like-minded Senators to work to accomplish these policies and be a loud advocate.

My DFA Values

I share the values of DFA.

(Community) My passion for civic engagement and civic education has run throughout my career from my work serving as director of the White House Comment Line to training new teachers of civics as a Fellow with the FL Joint Center for Citizenship.
As the founding director of USFSP’s Center for Civic Engagement, I developed our Citizen Scholar Program, which gets students out of the classroom and into the community working on service projects that are tied to the learning outcomes in the course.

(Security) I worked to develop the values of global citizenship in the courses I teach -- from my time as a Fulbright Scholar in Eastern Europe, to my work connecting my students with classes overseas through the use of technology to teaching a study abroad course. I have travelled overseas as a member of US delegations and have hosted delegations of foreign visitors as part of the State Department’s programs to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation.

(Liberty) Endorsed by EMILY’s List, I am a strong supporter of women’s rights – health care, choice, equal pay for equal work. Endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats, I will champion equality in the Florida Senate (to fight for marriage equality and to end workplace discrimination).

My Campaign is People Powered!

We are running a people-powered campaign. We have been visible at community events (ex. Awake the State and Progressive Caucus) throughout the District. We have organized canvasses, phone banks, and house parties. I have a background in community and field organizing, having run several state operations for presidential candidates. We have a dedicated group of volunteers, and we look forward to expanding our field program with DFA’s help.

About the Endorsement Process

The driving force behind all DFA endorsements is our members. We recognize that all politics is local and that what is considered progressive in Los Angeles may be very different from what's considered progressive in Louisville. For this reason, DFA does not have a litmus test of specific progressive positions for which a candidate must stand. Our endorsement is heavily weighted based on these questions:

• Will the candidate move the progressive movement forward in their community?
• Does the candidate have substantial support from our local members?
• Do the candidate's positions and policies fit into the broader progressive movement?
• Is the campaign people-powered and the candidate working to win?

If you have questions, or want to let us know about a candidate in your neighborhood, please call us at (802) 651-3200 or email us at [email protected] .